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It all started, as it often does, with a tweet. I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but I honestly can’t remember who first tweeted that #OccupyDC had attempted to occupy the abandoned Franklin School at 13th & K NW. The link has since been updated, but at the time, there was a standoff between police and Occupiers. I grabbed my video camera, tweeted the following:

Heading down to 13th & K to check out #OccupyDC taking over vacant school building. See you there.

jumped in my car and headed downtown. And never made it. On the way there I managed to have a fender bender, which I promptly tweeted about as soon as I got home (don’t worry, everyone was alright):

Never made it to 13th & K to see #OccupyDC vacant school action. Had a (minor) car accident on the way there. Trying to decide who to blame.

What would you like to see Occupy Wall Street accomplish? Tweet your ideas! #ows

Oh dear Lord, this was just what I needed to take my mind off what had just happened. As I have mentioned before, I don’t write (or tweet) for anyone but myself, so I just started listing everything I thought of, whether it was an indictment of #OWS, something that made me laugh, or something that I actually wanted accomplished. And now, for the first time ever, with explanatory links and/or clarifying remarks where necessary, is the comprehensive list of my crazy night with Michael Moore:

This makes me laugh for several reasons. First, like they could ever get organized enough to invent a time machine. Second, Bill & Ted was about time travel, so there’s that self-licking ice cream cone again. Finally, I can absolutely imagine them accidentally inventing something useful and then using it for such an idiotic purpose. Oh how I crack myself up.

Of everything else I tweeted, this is the one thing I actually want. Seriously. I’ll pay $100 for a solid mashup of the two linked videos. I need to think through what the criteria for claiming the prize are…stay tuned.

I may or may not just want to see Scott Bakula topless. The world will never know.

So that was it. I think I ended on a high note, despite there being a lot of duds. The interesting thing was that I gained a few more followers than suggestions I sent to Michael Moore, and considering that I only started with around 770 (Math Geeks of the World, Unite!), that was nearly a 10% increase in just a few hours. If only Twitter were the stock market. I have yet to hear back from him regarding any of these suggestions, but, as we say in the Navy, I’m on hot standby.

On Thursday, November 10, 2011, while Michele Bachmann was giving a speech aboard USS Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, approximately 30 protestors interrupted with a coordinated message. Video is available from multiple sources, but two different perspectives are provided by CBS News and Fox News (forgive me for not embedding the video, but these sites did not make it easy…advice welcome). Please note that while they use “mic check” to coordinate the start of their disruption, they are not actually repeating back the words of a main speaker, but rather reading from prepared remarks, which can be plainly seen in both videos.

According to CBS News,

Some of her supporters in the crowd yelled “Sit down” to the protesters and chanted “Michele! Michele!” Bachmann left the podium with a police escort but returned a few minutes later to finish her speech.

A completely different result was achieved by the attendees at BlogCon 2011 (hosted by FreedomWorks; use the #BlogCon11 hashtag for more information on Twitter) in Denver, Colorado just one day later when Occupy Denver attempted to disrupt the conference. It is important to note that registration at BlogCon2011 was open and anyone could have registered at the link above.

The result was different because of the parenting skills of those in attendance, in particular Stephen Kruiser and Larry O’Connor. Their parenting skills were important because the behavior of the Occupy protesters was effectively that of a toddler having a tantrum, and they reacted accordingly. The following is from BabyCenter:

Why your child has temper tantrums

A temper tantrum is the emotional equivalent of a summer storm — sudden and sometimes fierce. One minute you and your child are in a restaurant enjoying your dinner, the next minute he’s whimpering, whining, and then screaming at the top of his lungs because his straw is bent. Children between the ages of 1 and 3 are especially prone to such episodes.

How to handle a tantrum

Don’t lose your cool. A tantrum is not a pretty sight. In addition to kicking, screaming, or pounding the floor, your toddler’s repertoire may include throwing things, hitting, and even holding his breath to the point of turning blue. When your child is swept up in a tantrum, he’s unlikely to listen to reason, though he will respond — negatively — to your yelling or threatening.

Staying with your child during a tantrum is a good idea. Stomping out of the room — alluring as that may be — can make him feel abandoned. The storm of emotion he’s going through can be frightening to him, and he’ll appreciate knowing you’re nearby.

Remember that you’re the adult. No matter how long the tantrum continues, don’t give in to unreasonable demands or negotiate with your screaming toddler. It’s especially tempting in public to cave in as a way of ending the episode. Try not to worry about what others think — anyone who’s a parent has been there before. By conceding, you’ll only be teaching your child that throwing a fit is a good way to get what he wants, and setting the stage for future behavior problems. Besides, your child is already frightened by being out of control. The last thing he needs is to feel that you’re not in control either.

Below are two videos. The first is just over a minute and sets the baseline. In it, notice how calm Stephen (in the striped shirt against the door) and Larry (on the right side of the frame in coat and tie filming with the tablet) are. Stephen especially looks relaxed and even bored. He laughs at the jokes others make, but doesn’t make any of his own. This is completely in line with the advice above.

Several minutes later (the full video can be seen here), after claiming to be interested in calm discourse, the tantrum picks up steam when protesters with notecards (recall the protestors with prepared statements from the Michele Bachmann event) attempt to start reading with the familiar “mic check”. Again, you can see Stephen remains calm (in the midst of pushing and shoving), while off camera Larry refuses to give in to their unreasonable demands by sounding off with a “mic check” of his own. At the end of his series of repeat backs, the situation has been defused and everyone is smiling.

So, to summarize, what did the BlogCon 2011 attendees do differently than those in attendance at Michele Bachmann’s speech onboard USS Yorktown? To put it in the most simple of terms, they recognized that the Occupy protesters were having a tantrum, that they were “unlikely to listen to reason”, and would only respond negatively to “yelling or threatening” (like “sit down”). Those at the center of the Occupiers’ attention, like Stephen Kruiser, remained present, calm and in control. Similarly, Larry O’Connor refused to give in to their unreasonable demands by asking the crowd to repeat after him rather than them:

On October 9, 2011, I used the Occupy Togethermeetup site to locate some outlying Occupy rallies in the Los Angeles area. I found out that Occupy Long Beach was holding an event at 3 pm that day, very close to where I was staying in San Pedro. I drove toward Bluff Park in Long Beach, taking an unplanned detour because of the Long Beach Marathon, and arrived around 3:30. By that time, the event was in the “open mic” phase, and the following videos, except where annotated, are completely extemporaneous speech by the participants (of which there appeared to be about 100, but you can judge for yourself from the panoramic shot of the crowd below).

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press. They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad. They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts. *

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

Join us and make your voices heard!

*These grievances are not all-inclusive.

The videos are presented in the order in which I recorded them, except where noted.

This first speaker suggests that the “99%” make a list of the “1%” and extract confessions from them then have them atone for their misdeeds.

This speaker is a veteran of “activism”. She also admits that her children are apathetic. She suggests that others talk to their children to get them involved, not seeming to understand that if someone as “passionate” as she is has apathetic children that her logic might be faulty.

One of the Occupy Long Beach organizers explains that the movement won’t fall apart because it is a broad movement of the political left.

A member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) speaks to the crowd. IWW has officially endorsed the Occupy movement. He discusses the fact that privately owned grocery stores have pushed co-ops out of the market.

This protester plugs his local band, then reads a prepared statement speaking out against campaign financing, lobbyists, monopolies that are “too big to fail”, the military, and the oil industry.

This protester claims the movement is “not a contest between red and blue” and says “we don’t have a democracy so much as a corporatocracy”. She also says that since it is not a hostage negotiation, it is not necessary to have demands, other than to have “a government by the people, for the people.”

This speaker, an economics professor at Woodbury University in Burbank, recommends moving money from big banks to credit unions and local banks. He also claims that campaign finance reform will never happen. He is a self-proclaimed member of the Green Party.

This is only a partial recording of a protester who was discussing energy as a unifying theme around which to rally. It is unfortunate because the first part of his speech centered around the fact that cold fusion was a feasible form of alternative energy that had been suppressed by “big oil” (as other revolutionary ideas had been).

Another protester who recommends moving your money out of big banks. I can’t vouch for his numbers, and I apologize in advance for the f*** bomb.

This speaker picks up on the earlier theme of energy. He has worked in alternative energy (solar and biofuels) and discusses “living within the means of the Earth”. Appended to the end of his open mic session is a one-on-one interview, in which he discusses how certain technologies (his example is Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower) have been suppressed because they were less profitable than the status quo.

This protester says the capitalist system has cancer and can no longer function, and it is time to move on to something new.

This protester doesn’t have much to say about anything, except that he used to be (?) a loser, brings his toddler to protests, and has an internet radio show.

Sharon, one of the leaders (facilitators?) of Occupy Long Beach, explains why it’s important that they NOT enumerate any demands. Apparently listing demands “gives the power to THEM”. However, she does say they want “environmental sustainability” and “social justice”.

Marshall Blesofsky of the Long Beach Recruitment Awareness Project (LB RAP) discusses his work in schools to counter military recruitment both during the open mic session and during a one-on-one interview.

The Occupy Long Beach Statement of Purpose:

A final note from one of the Occupy Long Beach organizers.

It is important to note that while the open mic sessions may seem like a stream of disconnected rants, if you listen closely, you can tie each of them back to the themes addressed in the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City. It is even more important to note that, while many, or at least some, of the speakers may seem to support the broader “cause” while speaking for a minute or two during open mic, when questioned at length it becomes evident that most have individual agendas that they have been pursuing long before #OWS and Occupy Together came along. The Occupy movement has simply provided them a pulpit from which to preach the gospel they’ve been writing for years, or even decades.

My son has been taking guitar lessons and performing in live shows with the School of Rock in Vienna, Virginia since May, 2010. Although I’m sure I have seen it before, tonight I really noticed the School of Rock Philosophy posted on the wall while I waited for my son to finish his lesson. What follows is not just applicable to the School of Rock, but to being successful at life in general, and I couldn’t help adding a few of my own thoughts (in italics) on how it particularly applies to those currently “occupying” cities all over the United States, demanding things like free college tuition.

1. The School of Rock is not a democracy, it is a benevolent dictatorship.

2. It is not the notes you play – it is how you play them.

3. Whatever “talent” is, it is not quantifiable. The only thing that matters here is hard work and courage. The difference between our best students and the rest of you is simply dedication, drive, and hours of focused practice.

This is what sets the 1% apart from the rest of us. Not everyone wins first place (even if everyone gets a trophy), not every band gets a recording contract or a world tour, and not everyone is destined to attend college.

4. If you do not conceive of yourself as a rock star no one else will either.

This is true of anything in life, however it is a NECESSARY but not a SUFFICIENT condition. In other words, just because you see yourself as a rock star (or whatever else you want to be) does not mean everyone else will. Always have a contingency plan. Or three.

5. If you never make an excuse for the rest of your life, you will be very happy and successful.

But, but, the 1%! Wall Street! My student loans! Big pharma! Big oil!

6. The moment of sublime performance occurs when your ego dissipates into the music and you are not playing for anyone, including yourself, and are able to achieve a zen-like state of just playing music for the music itself.

This is a corollary to 5. Once your ego dissipates, it is easier to see how, just maybe, you might be to blame for some of your problems. Then you can stop making excuses and start solving them.

7. Learning your songs is not the end of the process, it is the beginning.

In other words, doing the bare minimum isn’t enough (also see number 3).

8. Until you are as good as the musicians we study, you should practice until you bleed.

See number 3 and number 7.

9. You are expected to perform on stage; not just play the music but put on a show. Be entertaining.

See number 3, 7, and 8.

10. Complaining is not allowed.

Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on every now and then, but don’t make it a lifestyle.

11. Ingratitude is the worst. Be grateful for this opportunity that your parents have given you. Show us you are grateful by stepping up to the challenge of the music. Don’t complain. Make sure you are living up to your potential. This is an opportunity that will most likely never present itself again in your life. Live it.

This one is written specifically for kids attending School of Rock, but replace the words “parents” and “music” with whatever is appropriate in your situation. The important thing is to always be grateful and to show that gratitude by working as hard as you can. Don’t expect anything, so if you do get something, it will always be MORE than you expected.

12. If you have an issue, take it up with your music director or the school management.

This goes to the heart of the problem with #OWS. If you have a problem, you need to address it with someone who can actually do something about it. What #OWS is doing is the equivalent of a School of Rock student sitting on the back porch and sulking because he didn’t get the lead guitar part on a particular song, hoping that someone will come along and notice his bad mood and ask him what’s wrong. It is childish and ineffective.

13. Act like a professional and you will be one.

Similar to number 4.

One final thought…School of Rock (formerly known as The Paul Green School of Rock Music) has over 70 franchise locations and is adding nine new locations between September 2011 and February 2012, and nobody had to occupy anything. #OccupySchoolOfRock

For those of you who think the Occupy Wall Street (or Occupy Together) movement, who claim to be “The 99%”, is just a fringe element that does not represent even a small fraction of your friends and neighbors, consider the following excerpts from the “Declaration of the Occupation of New York City“:

We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

…corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth…

…no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments.

Now compare that to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll (conducted between October 6 and 10, 2011), which addressed the President’s most recent jobs bill (emphasis in bold mine):

When asked simply if Congress should pass the legislation or not, 30 percent of respondents answer yes, while 22 percent say no; 44 percent have no opinion.

But when the legislation’s details are included in a follow-up question — that it would cut payroll taxes, fund new road construction, extend unemployment benefits, and that it would be paid for by increasing taxes on the wealthy — 63 percent say they favor the bill and 32 percent oppose it.

What’s more, 64 percent of respondents agree with the statement that it is a “good idea” to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations, because they should pay their fair share and can afford to pay more to help fund programs and government operations.

By comparison, 31 percent agree with the statement that raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations is a “bad idea,” because higher taxes take away money that would otherwise be invested to help grow the economy.

So although Occupy Wall Street (Occupy Together) may not be the 99%, and the person to your left and right may not agree with every tenet of the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City, this survey indicates that if you don’t want to make the wealthy and corporations pay their “fair share”, then you are in the minority.